The Old Man and the Sea
This novel is about an aging Cuban fisherman by the name of Santiago, who lives in a poor village near Havana, Cuba. His only known companion is a young boy named Manolin. Santiago teaches Manolin the ways of fishing until his parents forbid him from seeing him anymore due to the fact that he hasn't caught a single fish in 84 days. The locals think of him as an unlucky person. He sets out to sea to test his luck once more. He is out for about two days, battling a great marlin in the process. After a while, he catches this great marlin that is about the size of his skiff (18 feet). Unfortunately, the fish is ravaged by sharks before he can get the fish back to shore. The next day, the local fishermen are overcome in awe at the size of the skeleton of the fish that Santiago caught.
Quotes
"If the others heard me talking out loud they would think that I am crazy. But since I am not crazy, I do not care." - Santiago, page 39
"How many people will he feed? But are they worthy to eat him? No, of course not. There is no one worthy of eating him from the manner of his behaviour and his great dignity." - Santiago, page 75
"And the best fisherman is you." - Manolin, page 23